A Nightmare in Bristol
by ithinktherefore
Summary: Through their dreams, he seeks vengeance and vindication. Will they be able to stay awake long enough to find a way to stop him? Primarily N/E, but all characters appear. Character death. Go make some coffee. :
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

**One, two, Foster's Coming for you...**

"I know you think that fear is the reason you push people away, Naomi, and why you feel so vulnerable when anyone starts to get close to you. But you'll have to dig deeper to understand what's behind that fear. When you do that, when you let yourself feel the pain of your past, and see how it's affecting your present, then and only then will you be able to stop hurting the people you love."

Naomi came into awareness having no idea where she was or how she got there. She looked around, trying to find the source of the maddeningly calm voice that was spouting off some ridiculous psycho-babble. She was slumped in a chair and sat before a large mahogany desk. Was she in an office? There were no windows, and the only source of light was the banker-style desk lamp. She shook herself, trying to clear her fogged brain, in effort to get her bearings.

"Tell me, Naomi, how old were you when your mother started bringing strangers into your home; when she decided to sacrifice your safety to the selfish whims of her need to 'save the world'?"

"What?" Naomi sat up, looking around desperately for the person who was speaking – the person that was trying to get in her head. "Where the fuck am I? Who's there? Show yourself you tosser!"

When her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, Naomi was able to read the framed diploma hanging on the wall behind the desk: _Mr. J. T. Foster Clinical Psychiatrist_. And suddenly he was standing beside her.

"Oh my god! That's not possible! You're fucking dead! This isn't happening. This isn't fucking happening!" Naomi tried to get up from the chair, but found herself tightly bound in a straight jacket, unable to move. Her heart began thumping erratically in her chest, as her eyes wildly scanned the room, looking for some method of escape.

"Shhhhhh. Relax, Naomi, you're safe here. I only want to help you; help you not to be afraid." He reached out to stroke Naomi's hair. "Yes, with my help, I think you'll become something that I'm proud of. You and all of Elizabeth's friends..."

As Naomi looked into John Foster's eyes, she knew she was seeing the soul of a madman. And that madman was now fixated on her - trying to get into her head. Like he did with Effy... That's when Naomi started to scream.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

"Naomi! Wake up! Wake up!!" Emily was frantic. She awoke to the sound of her girlfriend letting out a blood chilling scream, thrashing about with her arms pinned tightly to her chest. Emily pushed Naomi's shoulders into the mattress, trying to wake and restrain her at the same time. "Naomi! C'mon! WAKE UP!"

And Naomi's eyes finally popped open, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. "Em...?" Her voice was barely there.

"Jesus, Naomi – you scared the shit out of me!" Emily let up on Naomi's shoulders, then settled her head on Naomi's chest.

"Nai, your heart's beating like a million miles an hour...are you OK? Were you having some kind of nightmare?"

Naomi reached a shaking hand to her night table to grab the glass of water she put there each evening. Taking a long drink to buy herself some time, she considered what to tell Emily.

"Yeah, I guess it was a nightmare. I can barely remember what it was about, though. I'm sorry I woke you." Naomi rubbed at her face, trying to distance herself more fully from the memory of her dream.

"Well, it must have been pretty intense. You sounded absolutely terrified."

Naomi cringed at the thought of how much the 'Dr. Foster' of her dream had terrified her. The thought of someone like that trying to get in her head left her feeling incredibly shaken and vulnerable. Emily, misinterpreting Naomi's cringe as embarrassment, tried to reassure her by rubbing her back.

"It's nothing to feel weird about, babe. We all have nightmares at some time or other. And considering everything that's happened recently, I'm not the least bit surprised."

In the past two weeks they had all suffered so much. They thought that Freddie had gone missing, only to find out that he'd been murdered by Effy's psychiatrist. It was Cook who made the discovery. And it was Cook who avenged his friend's murder by confronting the bat-wielding madman head-on. While Cook was victorious in his battle with John Foster, and had made him pay with his life, Cook did not escape unscathed. He presently lay comatose in Frenchay Hospital, having suffered a traumatic head injury during the fight. The doctors were unable to determine when or if he would awaken from the coma, and couldn't establish if he would suffer any permanent brain damage. The very thought that Cook could wake up less than the irrepressible 'lad' they loved was beyond comprehension.

When the truth came out about Foster's role in Freddie's death, Effy became virtually catatonic. Anthea wouldn't allow her to enter another psychiatric care facility, so instead hired a nurse to look after her at home. Emily, Katie, Naomi, Panda, Thomas, JJ and Karen did a good job of maintaining regular visitations of both Cook and Effy, making sure there was always a friendly face – or voice – on hand to offer words of encouragement, and talk about a future when the group would again have reason to celebrate life. Even though their presence was never acknowledged by either patient, they all felt driven to maintain the group's connection, however futile their efforts might seem.

Now, just days after burying Freddie, Emily assumed that Naomi (or her subconscious) was perhaps succumbing to the fallout of the tragic and gruesome events. Frankly, Emily was surprised that they _all_ weren't having nightmares at this point. She was pulled from her musings when Naomi moved to get out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

Naomi put on her robe without meeting Emily's eyes.

"I'm, uh, too keyed up to go back to sleep, so maybe I'll go downstairs and read for a bit."

"Nai, it's 3AM, come back to bed. I'm sure you'll fall asleep eventually. And if not, I'm sure we can find other ways to occupy your time..."

"As tempting an offer as that is, Ems, and believe me, it is very fucking tempting, you need to get a good night's rest. You have that job interview tomorrow morning, and I don't want you sleeping through it. OK?"

Emily's instincts were telling her that something was off with Naomi's reaction, and she really wanted to coax her to open up about it. But the truth was she did need to get up early for that interview. It was for a job at their local library, which she really wanted. It paid a decent wage, and would enable Emily to research travel destinations during her down time. She and Naomi had to forego their trip to Goa with everything that happened, but they were still considering taking a gap year.

"OK, Naoms. Don't stay up too late."

Naomi leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Emily's forehead, then turned out the bedside light and moved towards the door. Looking back before exiting the room, she offered a reassuring smile to Emily.

"I won't. Sweet dreams, Emily."


	2. Chapter 2

**Three, four, better lock your door...**

Chapter Two

Emily woke the next morning to find that she was alone in bed. Their reconciliation was still new enough that seeing Naomi's side empty caused a knee-jerk feeling of anxiousness in Emily. She sighed, shaking herself of such thoughts. Naomi was probably crashed out on the couch, not wanting to risk waking Emily again by coming back to bed. Emily smiled to herself at her girlfriend's perceived thoughtfulness, then got up and headed off to take a shower.

Once clean and dressed in appropriate 'business' attire, Emily made her way downstairs, with thoughts of waking Naomi from the couch and shooing her back to their bed. If she was lucky, Naomi would try to tempt her into joining her in bed before she needed to head to the library for her interview. Emily's imagination was going down a very happy path before it was derailed by the delicious food-smells wafting from the kitchen. Swapping one hunger for another, Emily made her way into the kitchen, surprised to find Naomi stood there, sipping from a mug while tending to several pots and pans on the stove.

"Morning, Em, care for some coffee?" Naomi asked, holding up her mug in emphasis. "I can put on a fresh pot, if you'd like."

Emily looked towards the 12-cup French press, noticing it was down to the dregs. "Well, looks like someone's been up for awhile. You've been busy." She then leaned in to place a soft, but lingering kiss on Naomi's lips. "Mmmm, that I have." Naomi replied, pushing back into the kiss, unable to do much more with her hands full. Emily reached around her, grabbing the French press, intending to wash and ready a fresh pot.

"So, what time did you end up falling asleep?" Emily asked, while glancing towards the living room looking for evidence of blankets and pillows on the couch. Nothing. The living room was, in fact, spotless. "Or did you even end up falling asleep?" Emily turned back to look at Naomi with a more critical eye. Deciding her girlfriend had already exceeded her daily caffeine requirements, Emily put down the coffee canister, and scrounged around to find one of Gina's herbal teas, instead.

"Umm, I'm not sure what time, actually. I tossed and turned for a bit, then gave up. I decided that sending you off to your interview with a proper breakfast was a much more productive use of my time." With her hands now free, Naomi moved behind Emily, wrapping her in a warm hug. "You look amazing, by the way. If that library administrator sees just the tiniest fraction of the things I see in you, then you'll be offered the job on the spot, surely." She leaned down to place a series of moist kisses on the exposed area of Emily's neck. Emily reached back and tangled her hand in Naomi's hair, while moving her head sideways, giving Naomi's lips better access.

"You're very sweet when you're sleep deprived, you know that? Emily replied, slowly turning to face Naomi. "But I don't think I want the library administrator seeing me the way you do. It might make for a pervy work environment, don't you think?" She smirked and moved in to offer her girlfriend a more substantial kiss, moving her tongue in sync with the fingers she was running through the blonde's hair, massaging her scalp. It was slow and sexy, and seemed to be lulling Naomi into a state of bliss, as she started swaying forward in Emily's arms.

"Mmmm, that feels nice, Ems. You feel nice." Their peaceful moment was interrupted by the loud buzzing of the oven timer. "Bollocks." Naomi grumbled, while moving back to turn off the oven and tend the items on the stove. "Why don't you set the table, Em, and I'll have breakfast ready in a jiff."

"Sure. Just what did you make, babe? Whatever it is, it smells amazing, and I'm starved." Emily set out the silverware, glasses and napkins, then brought the plates over to Naomi by the stove. Peeking over Naomi's shoulder, Emily saw eggs, potatoes, a sauce of sorts, and a large pot of something on the back burner. "Jesus, you've enough to feed an army here! Were you hoping I'd get up a bit earlier, so we could work up a massive appetite together?" She squeezed Naomi's bum in emphasis.

Naomi jumped at being goosed, and turned to give Emily a quick peck on the lips. "Cheeky."

"Yeah, you love it." Emily responded with a smirk. "Seriously, though, Nai, what the hell are you cooking there? That's a ton of food."

"Well I made poached eggs with hollandaise, biscuits, and a side of potatoes for breakfast. And I'm making a batch of my Mum's lentil soup to give to Karen when I relieve her at the hospital this afternoon. I figured she and her Dad could probably use a home cooked meal." Naomi grabbed the plates, and dished out their their breakfasts. "Have a seat and dig in, Ems, you need to get a move-on." Emily took the plate, eying Naomi curiously as they sat down. "What?" Naomi asked, unnerved by Emily's stare.

"Nothing. It's just," Emily's expression changed from puzzled to grinning, "when did you turn into the sweetest, most thoughtful, _domestic_ person on the planet?"

Naomi looked down at her plate, a bashful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, well, you seem to inspire it in me." She took a bite of her eggs, eyes still down while she chewed. Swallowing, she finally looked up and said, "But it might just be a phase, you know, so don't get too used to it. I think it's quite likely that I'll revert back to that sarcastic and aloof bitch that you fell for in middle school."

Emily just smiled, shaking her head while she tucked into her breakfast with abandon. "Honey, you can be as bitchy as you'd like, so long as you keep cooking me breakfasts like this. Mmmm. These eggs are _amazing_. I never knew you could cook like this. What other talents have you kept hidden from me?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Concert pianist, rocket scientist, I speak eleven languages, have a photographic memory, and I'm a fantastic dancer."

"Really? How _impressive_..."

"Yeah, and I can curl my tongue, too. See?" Naomi immediately demonstrated said skill to an indulgently smiling at Emily.

"Wow, you're really quite the catch, aren't you? That last skill of yours has particular potential. I must be the luckiest girl in the world to have landed someone like you."

"Yup, you are," Naomi responded with a wink, getting up to clear away their plates, "and don't you forget it."

"Never." Emily whispered to Naomi's retreating back. She cleared her throat. "So, what time are you relieving Karen at the hospital? Katie and I will be heading over to Effy's mid-afternoon. I think Panda and Thom-o are there for the morning shift."

Naomi returned to her seat with two mugs of tea. "I'm planning to catch the noon bus. Should be fun with a big pot of soup in my lap." she grinned, while sipping her herbal tea. "Jesus! What the hell is this, Ems? I thought you made a regular cuppa. This tastes like that crap my Mum drinks! Blech!"

"It is your Mum's. It's decaf, which you need." Emily replied, not reacting to Naomi's theatrics. "I was thinking, why don't you take the scooter today, Naomi? I can walk to the library from here, and Katie's borrowed my Mum's car to take us to Effy's, so I won't need it. You can secure the soup pot on the back with some bungee cords." Emily sipped from her own mug. "Christ, this does taste like bollocky wank-shite! How does your Mum drink this stuff?" Emily got up and took both of their mugs to dump in the sink. When she turned back, Naomi was there to pull her into a warm embrace. Emily leaned up to bestow the blonde with a smoldering kiss, bunching her hands in the material of Naomi's robe. Before things could get too heated, Naomi reluctantly pulled away.

"Mmh. You better get going, if you're planning on walking, Ems. I don't want you to be late for your interview." She rubbed Emily's shoulders, moving down her arms, until she was holding her hands. "I know for a fact that you're going to impress the hell out of them."

"You think so?"

"I fucking know so, OK, so get to it."

Emily broke into a smile and leaned back in to place a series of kisses along Naomi's jawline. "Thanks for making me a delicious breakfast. And thanks for believing in me." she whispered in Naomi's ear before moving in for one last proper kiss.

"Anytime. Always." Naomi responded, melting into the contact, and leaning more heavily on Emily.

"Promise me something?" Emily asked, while pulling away, gently rubbing Naomi's hands held in her own.

"Anything." Naomi replied, without hesitation, searching Emily's eyes for a hint of what this promise might entail.

"Promise me you'll take a nap before heading out to visit Cook? You're dead on your feet, Nai, and I don't want you having an accident on the scooter, OK?" Emily held Naomi's eyes so she'd know she was serious.

"Yeah, sure. A nap sounds good, actually. What time is Katie coming to pick you up?"

"Well, we're supposed to head over to Effy's around 1:00, but Katie mentioned she might come by a bit earlier, if that's OK. I think living in close quarters with the rest of my family is driving her a bit nuts."

"Gee, can't imagine that too much Jenna would be anything but a good thing."

Emily play-smacked her arm. "Ha-ha. My Mum's actually mellowed quite a bit these last couple of months."

"I know she has, Ems, and I'm glad. And don't worry, Katie is always welcome here."

"OK, that's it. Off to bed with you. You have got to be ridiculously tired to be making statements like that." Emily ushered Naomi towards the stairs, giving her a push to start her climbing, then grabbed her blazer and headed towards the front door.

"Good luck, Ems. I love you."

Emily gave one last look towards her girlfriend, who was hovering at the top of the stairs. "I love you, too, Nai. Get some rest, and I'll see you later, OK?"

Naomi nodded, then moved into her bedroom, closing the door behind her at the same time she heard Emily closing the front door. She sighed, then let herself fall into bed.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Naomi was crouched low at the top of the stairs, listening to all the voices chattering away down on the main floor. She was in her old, yellow house, and realized her Mum must be throwing another one of her parties. From the sound of all the overlapping voices, it was a rather large party at that. She could smell an abundance of spliff in the air, and heard people singing along (quite terribly) to some old Tears for Fears song. She considered climbing down the stairs a bit further to see if she recognized any of the guests, but her body seemed frozen in place. Just as she began contemplating whether or not her immobility was due to the effects of a contact high from the spliff, she became aware of one of her mother's ex-boyfriends smiling up at her from the bottom of the staircase.

"There you are, Naomi-love! Looks like you're waiting for an invitation to join the party, aren't you? Well, what do you say I bring the party to you, instead, sweetheart..."

As he slowly began climbing the stairs, all stoner eyes and greasy hair, Naomi felt an icy fear race up her spine. She tried with all of her might to get her body to fucking move, but it refused to cooperate. Her mind raced, and the panic built, as the man came closer. She could smell his cheap aftershave, and the booze on his breath, as her own breathing became increasingly shallow. Finally, _finally_, harnessing every ounce of will she possessed, Naomi managed to push herself from the step and she turned to run into the safety of her bedroom. Locking the door, she turned and slid down the length of it, cradling her head in her hands. "What the fuck is happening?"

"Don't you know? I think you do." Naomi looked up horrified to find John Foster sat crouched in front pf her. His grey-blue eyes searched hers beseechingly, but in them, Naomi saw a monster. "Kieran wasn't the first grown man to force his kiss upon you, was he Naomi..."

She scrambled to get up, clawing at her bedroom door so she could exchange one horror for another. Unable to negotiate the lock, Naomi's fear and frustration seized control and she stood there pounding at the door, "This isn't happening! This isn't fucking happening!"

Feeling an unwanted hand on her shoulder, and not knowing whether it was Foster's or _his_, Naomi's fight instinct kicked in and she turned around swinging. "FUCK. OFF!"

# # # # # # # # # #

"Naomi! Christ! Wake the fuck up, would you?" Katie was leaning over Naomi, forcing her wrists into the mattress so she would stop fighting.

"K-k-katie? What the fuck...?" Naomi tried to release the tension from her body, realizing she'd just had another cunting nightmare. _Fucking hell._ She took a deep breath, and looked up at Katie. "I'm...I'm awake now...you can let go of me, OK?"

"Yeah, well, you better not take another swing at me, babes, or I'll knock you right back to fucking dreamland. And judging by the way you were thrashing about when I got here, I doubt that's a place you're looking to go back to anytime soon."

Naomi snorted half-heartedly. "You've fucking got that right, Katiekins." She gave her eyes a good palm polish, trying to rub the sleep away. "Shit."

"Looked like you were fighting the Devil himself, Naomi. Were you at least winning?" Katie offered one of her trademark smirks, as well as the glass of water from the night table.

"Thanks. And it was Amir Khan, actually. He's well fit, don't you think?" Naomi joked , gulping down some of the water, before looking over at the clock. "Fuck! It's 11:30! I've got to go, Katie. Um, thanks, for, you know..." Sparing a quick glance at her friend, she grabbed her robe and headed off for a quick shower, not giving Katie a chance to respond.

Once inside the bathroom, Naomi locked the door, and leaned heavily back against it. "Fucking … fuck. I can't..." No amount of will power could stop her body from shaking, as the tears finally came. "Ems..."

# # # # # # # # # #


End file.
